Loss
by Demeter1
Summary: There are just some things that losing will devastate the mind and soul.


Title: "Loss"  
Author:Demeter  
  
Disclaimer:All rights and privileges to Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing are trademarks andproperty of Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties. All the characters belong to them, and all stories, relationships, ideas are fiction.They are not related to the original plot. The story, the relationships and original characters within the fic are copyright of the author Demeter.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Relena grinned at the adoring look in Duo's eyes. Reaching a pale hand toward his face, she patted it softly before bringing his other hand to her lips. Kissing his knuckles, she leaned into his warmth and sighed.   
  
"Jousan?"  
  
"Just a moment Duo. Just let me rest a moment."  
  
She felt Duo shift below her head, and smiled softly at the feeling of being wrapped in muscular arms. Her eyes drooped slightly in response. Relena felt so damn warm.   
  
"Duo?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Promise me."  
  
"Promise you what?"  
  
"Promise me you'll never leave me." She held her breath. She had never extracted such a promise before. It would a sign of his love if he did.  
  
Duo's lips curved into a teasing smile.   
  
"Always and forever, 'Lena."  
  
Relena felt the stone drop from her heart forever.   
  
Duo's face flooded with soothing comfort.  
  
He let go the little demons who had plagued him for so long.  
  
"I love you Relena."  
  
"I love you more Du-" She stopped, her face contorting strangely. Her arms came up to grip his shoulder.   
  
Duo felt warmth bubble at his chest.   
  
Lifting his head, he saw a scarlet blanket spread on Relena's chest.   
  
Then a sound that he had heard only an hour ago echoed once more. Only this time, the sound was infinitely louder.   
  
A spray of red rain drenched his suit in it's bloody dance.  
  
He felt Relena slip from his arms. Slowly. He saw hercerulean blue eyes widen with pain, before looking at him with tears.   
  
Before closing.   
  
Falling.  
  
Falling.   
  
To the ground.   
  
Duo held out beseeching arms. Reaching blindly for Relena.   
  
Heero stood there, a maniacal grin filled with triumph. He clicked his gun once more and two bullets clattered, dropping to the ground in slow motion. His unruly hair whipped in the picking wind and there was absolute silence as the two men stared at each other.  
  
Prussian blue gazing into crocus violet.   
  
A commotion announced the arrival of the others.   
  
A loud scream perforated the stillness.   
  
Duo bent to the ground slowly, collapsing next to Relena.He gathered the frothy, blood-stained body to him. He rocked her gently, whispering her name in a pleading voice.  
  
Her eyes fluttered open. She focused on Duo's face.   
  
Duo gave a strangled cry.  
  
"D.. duo?"  
  
Duo clutched her small frame to his body and shuddered as he bit out hoarsely, "I'm right here, 'Lena. I'm right here. I'll get you to a hospital. I'll get you a pretty room with a view. Come on. Let's go." He tried to lift her, only discover the blood gush out over his legs, matting the fabric to his skin.   
  
He nearly howled.   
  
"Duo." She convulsed, blood trickling from thecorner of her pale lips. She tried to give him a reassuring smile. "I'm..sorry.. I should have.. told.. you that He.." Relena stopped, interrupted by a hoarse hacking. "Heero loved you for.. the longest.. time. I'm.. so..sorry.."  
  
Duo wept.   
  
"Please. 'Lena. Don't leave me. Please. Fuck. Don't leave me. I swear to god I'll never even look at him again. Please. FUCK. Don't leave me."  
  
Relena brought one blood-stained hand to his face. The handwas shaking and Duo clutched at it, holding it onto his face, smearing the blood like finger-paint. "Relena."  
  
A smile floated into her eyes. She brought his hand toward the kneeling Heero. "I wish you happiness."  
  
She paused, her eyes drinking in the people standing faraway. Turning back to Duo, she whispered, "Heero loves you, Duo. I wish..you.. happiness."  
  
Her voice grew fainter.  
  
"Only, don't ever forget me."  
  
Her voice took on a pleading tone.   
  
"Please, whatever happens, don't forget me."  
  
Duo's hands dug into her. "You ain't leaving! You ain't! There's no fucking way you're dying Relena." He turned to the group, calling out desperately, "Come on! Get a fucking ambulance!"  
  
Quatre scurried forward.   
  
The sirens screamed.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Duo sat in his seat silently.   
  
Quatre paced by him restlessly.   
  
Trowa placed a placating hand on the Arabian's shoulder.   
  
Wufei tapped his katana on the table.  
  
Sally bounced her young son in her lap gently.   
  
Hilde sat beside Duo, every so often patting him on the shoulder.   
  
Zechs was huddled into Noin's arms, his face hidden.   
  
Dorothy sat without expression.   
  
Catherine carved at a wooden doll.   
  
Heero sat a ways away from them, his arms crossed in irritation.   
  
He was tied to the chair with rope and duct tape.   
  
"Mr. Maxwell?"  
  
Duo jumped up and grabbed the doctor by the shoulders. "How's 'Lena?"  
  
The doctor sighed, before asking softly, "Who's Duo here?"  
  
Duo's shoulders began to shake.   
  
"There was nothing we could do. It was a miracle she survived this long. She's asking for you."  
  
Duo tore into the room. The nurses were rushing around, to try to extend the inevitable.   
  
Death.   
  
"'Lena. Come on. It's Duo. You're mate."  
  
Relena opened her eyes tiredly. A smile lit on her face.She held out a hand weakly.   
  
"Duo. I wish.. I wish I could say.. please.. never love anyone else."  
  
Duo's face grew stormy. "Never. I'll never love anyoneelse."  
  
She shook her head as much as she could. "No, that would be too selfish. I wish I could ask you to do that. But.."Her voice grew softer and dreamy. "No. Just promise.. no matter.. who.. it is.. you don't forget me. I love.. I love you.."  
  
She looked tired suddenly.   
  
"Relena?"  
  
Everyone had crowded in now.   
  
"I wish.. I wish.. " She closed her eyes and opened them again, this time glazed with wistfulness.   
  
"I wish....." She paused. Relena curved her lips slightly. "I wish I could live to be an old, old woman....."  
  
Her voice trailed off.  
  
Her fingers slid from Duo's hands slowly.   
  
As if the will had left them.  
  
The heart monitor echoed the sharp scream of the people in the room.   
  
Duo stared at her body.   
  
He lunged forward and yanked the tubes from the machines.   
  
He gathered her up hastily in his arms as if possessed and pushed out of the room, ignoring all the cries for him to stop.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Relena, see those stars? Aren't they the most beautiful you've ever seen?"  
  
Duo grinned and hugged Relena's body to him, his face crinkling into a wide grin. "Sorry, jousan. I forgot the champagne for tonight. I promise I'll get something fancier next time."  
  
"Duo."  
  
He turned slightly, looking up into the eyes of his once-girlfriend, Hilde.   
  
"Shh. 'Lena just fell asleep. Don't wake her up."  
  
Hilde remained stoic. Her voice was gentle, calm even. "Come on Duo. You can't keep her to yourself. There's Zechs and Noins. Everyone wants to say goodbye."  
  
Duo snarled at her. "Why in the hell do they need to say goodbye? They can talk to her when she wakes up."  
  
Hilde felt tears gather in the corners of her eyes.   
  
"She's dead, Duo. You can't do anything aboutit."  
  
Duo's own eyes filled with tears. He nearly screamed,"She ain't dead! Dead is Sister Helen! Dead is Father Maxwell! She ain't dead! Touch her!" He shoved a hand onto her chest. "She's still warm! She's still warm! She's just sleeping!" His hysterical voice trailed off at the sight of pain in Hilde's face.   
  
Tears trickled from her eyes and splashed down her face.   
  
A hand came up to her throat to prevent a strangled sob from escaping.   
  
"Duo, that's the warmth from your own body."   
  
Duo froze.   
  
He turned his gaze slowly to Relena's white face.   
  
He ran trembling fingers over the icy coldness of her face.  
  
Duo whimpered.  
  
Heero stepped out into the clearing. He twirled his gun with one hand and chuckled.   
  
"If I can't have you. Then you can't have her either."  
  
Hilde stumbled backwards. She pressed a hand to her mouth.   
  
Duo stared at Heero uncomprehendingly.   
  
"I would rather have you think of me all the time in hate then not at all.'  
  
Heero grinned wildly, before grasping the gun and pointing it at his own temple.   
  
The gun spun in the air and landed on the grass as its owner tumbled to the floor with it.   
  
Hilde screamed.   
  
Wufei appeared, a large bruise on his face.   
  
And everyone followed in haste.   
  
Duo did not acknowledge Heero's body.   
  
He turned to stare at Relena's face. Looking for a sign.  
  
He clutched her body like a rag doll to his own body.   
  
A howl tore from his throat.   
  
Tears refused to come to him.   
  
He had lost.  
  
  


~*~ FINIS ~*~  


  
  
This is sort of a sequel to The Loss Arc. I'm thinking of adding more viewpoints from the other characters.   
  
However, this is the ALTERNATE ending. There were a few friends who suggested that my stories were a bit....um...on the dark side, so I ended the Loss Arc on a happy note. This can be an alternate ending OR a standalone fic.   
  
If you want sap, the Loss Arc is done and finished except the POV of other characters, which I will add soon. If you want angst, "Loss" can be a touch of that. Either way, Loss is something I wrote in feel of the Arc. It can be just an attestment to Duo and Relena, or it can be something of a sequel. You're choice.  
  
Demeter  



End file.
